Syrian Elephant
Encyclopedia
The Syrian elephant is a proposed name for the westernmost population of the Asian Elephant
(Elephas maximus) which became extinct in ancient times. Skeletal remains of Elephas maximus asurus have been recorded from the Middle East
(Turkey
, Iraq
and Syria
) from periods dating between 3 million years BC to 100 years BC.
Ancient Syrian craftsmen used the tusk
s of E. m. asurus to make ivory carvings. In Syria, the production of ivory items was at its maximum during the first millennium BC, when the Aramaeans made splendid ivory inlay for furniture. This overhunting of Syrian elephants for ivory ultimately resulted in their extinction by around 100 BC.
s subspecies that survived into historic times, measuring 3.5 metre or more at the shoulder. Skeletal remains show that it did not differ much from the Indian subspecies, except in size.
and Polybius
that Seleucid kings Seleucus I and Antiochus III had large quantities of imported Indian elephants. Whether these Indian elephants were imported due to scarcity of native Syrian elephants or due to their accomplished training and domestication as war elephants remains unclear.
Hannibal had a war elephant known as "Surus"; it has been suggested to mean "the Syrian." It was said to have been his best (and biggest) elephant. In that case, the elephant may have been of Seleucid stock. If it was in fact of native Syrian stock or an imported Indian elephant remains subject to speculation. (The usual Carthaginian war elephants, despite popular depictions, were the smaller North African elephant
s [Loxodonta africana pharaoensis], an African bush elephant
population or subspecies
also now extinct.)
Asian Elephant
The Asian or Asiatic elephant is the only living species of the genus Elephas and distributed in Southeast Asia from India in the west to Borneo in the east. Three subspecies are recognized — Elephas maximus maximus from Sri Lanka, the Indian elephant or E. m. indicus from mainland Asia, and E. m....
(Elephas maximus) which became extinct in ancient times. Skeletal remains of Elephas maximus asurus have been recorded from the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
(Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
) from periods dating between 3 million years BC to 100 years BC.
Ancient Syrian craftsmen used the tusk
Tusk
Tusks are elongated, continuously growing front teeth, usually but not always in pairs, that protrude well beyond the mouth of certain mammal species. They are most commonly canines, as with warthogs, wild boar, and walruses, or, in the case of elephants and narwhals, elongated incisors...
s of E. m. asurus to make ivory carvings. In Syria, the production of ivory items was at its maximum during the first millennium BC, when the Aramaeans made splendid ivory inlay for furniture. This overhunting of Syrian elephants for ivory ultimately resulted in their extinction by around 100 BC.
Description
Syrian elephants were among the largest Asian ElephantAsian Elephant
The Asian or Asiatic elephant is the only living species of the genus Elephas and distributed in Southeast Asia from India in the west to Borneo in the east. Three subspecies are recognized — Elephas maximus maximus from Sri Lanka, the Indian elephant or E. m. indicus from mainland Asia, and E. m....
s subspecies that survived into historic times, measuring 3.5 metre or more at the shoulder. Skeletal remains show that it did not differ much from the Indian subspecies, except in size.
Controversy
"Syrian" elephants are frequently mentioned in Hellenistic history; the Seleucid kings, who maintained numerous war elephants, reigned in Syria during that period. These elephants are believed by some to be Indian elephants (E. m. indicus), which had been acquired by the Seleucid kings during their eastern expansions. It is attested by ancient sources such as StraboStrabo
Strabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea...
and Polybius
Polybius
Polybius , Greek ) was a Greek historian of the Hellenistic Period noted for his work, The Histories, which covered the period of 220–146 BC in detail. The work describes in part the rise of the Roman Republic and its gradual domination over Greece...
that Seleucid kings Seleucus I and Antiochus III had large quantities of imported Indian elephants. Whether these Indian elephants were imported due to scarcity of native Syrian elephants or due to their accomplished training and domestication as war elephants remains unclear.
Hannibal had a war elephant known as "Surus"; it has been suggested to mean "the Syrian." It was said to have been his best (and biggest) elephant. In that case, the elephant may have been of Seleucid stock. If it was in fact of native Syrian stock or an imported Indian elephant remains subject to speculation. (The usual Carthaginian war elephants, despite popular depictions, were the smaller North African elephant
North African Elephant
The North African Elephant was a possible subspecies of the African Bush Elephant , or possibly a separate elephant species, that existed in North Africa until becoming extinct in Ancient Roman times. These were the famous war elephants used by Carthage in the Punic Wars, their conflict with the...
s [Loxodonta africana pharaoensis], an African bush elephant
African Bush Elephant
The African Bush Elephant or African Savanna Elephant is the larger of the two species of African elephant. Both it and the African Forest Elephant have usually been classified as a single species, known simply as the African Elephant...
population or subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
also now extinct.)
